Means for washing and classifying aggregates in one continuous operation



F. FREDEEN 1,865,094

WASHING AND CLASSIFYING AGGREGATES IN ONE CONTINUOUS OPERATION I June 28, 1932.

Original Filed A ril'zs. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IINVENTOR fir/111 fiedeen Y a a 0 (l, ATTORNEY F. FREDEEN Ju ne 28, 1932.

MEANS FOR WASHING AND CLASSIFYING AGGREGATES IN ONE CONTINUOUS OPERATION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' Original Filed April 23, 1929 NVENTOR E0111 1 16618811 ATTORNEY June 28, 1932. F. FREDEEN MEANS FOR WASHING AND CLASSIFYING AGGREGATES' IN ONE CONTINUOUS OPERATION 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY June 28, 1932.

MEANS FOR WASHING AND CLASSIFYING AGGREGATES IN ONE commuous OPERATION F FREDEEN Original Filed A ril 25.

1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 JUL M m Mi m E ATTORNEY June 28, 1932. FREDEEN 1,865,094

MEANS FOR WASHING AND CLASSIFYING AGGREGATES IN ONE CONTINUOUS OPERATION Original Filed April 23,1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Hi. :-E

bl c a iNl/i-INTOR W W fiafiffledeeyz.

Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 FRANK FREDEEN, or MINNEAPOLIS, Mmmiso'ra MEANS FOR WASHING AN D CLASSIFYING AGGREGATES IN ONE CONTINUOUS OPERATION Application filed April 23, 1929, Serial My invention relates to the art of commercial material preparation and it particularly has reference to classifying and efficiently washing ore or sand and gravel or other hard metallic aggregates.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a portable or stationary means for effectively and rapidly washing and classifying ore or sand, gravel and crushed rock aggre- 10 gates in one continued and economical operation.

Heretofore, it has been'imore or less general practice to. excavate the material from a gravel bank, transfer it by carts, wagons,

barges, or-railways to a more or less remote place where it is elevated, washed and graded in expensive plants and in which usually the fine aggregates are co-mingled with and discharged together with the muddy water; the

washed (imperfectly) and graded materials are then reloaded, and in .some instances transported great distances by rail and reconveyed to the place where they are to be used, which place may be miles away from 2 the washing and grading station. This requires double and treblehandling with consequent great expense. Records show that such imperfectly washed silt mixed aggregates when mixed with cement and used in '30 expensive foundations or dams or roads and like surface contact structures become porous and absorb moisture, and whenever such moisture soaked cement-is exposed to frost the moisture content will expand and cause such cement structures to crumble. Future users of aggregates in cement structures can avoid such crumbling by the use of perfectly clean aggregates like my washer and crusher means produces. Proper use of such classified washed and rinsed and re-rinsed aggregates will produce non-porous, non-moisture content cement and permanently safe structures, at reduced cost. In many instances there are sand and gravel deposits available within truck and wagon haul distances of where the aggregates are required and by washing, crushing and classifying such aggregates near the job several dollars per yard may be saved. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide sand and gravel No. 357,477. Renewed April as, 1932.

washing and grading apparatus of ample capacity which can be used for economically and quickly washing, crushing, classifying and loading aggregates at the place where the sand and gravel or ore is excavated and by such means the sand and gravel are efliciently washed, classified and over-sized pieces crushed and all are delivered in bins ready for loading into trucks or other conventional delivery means, in superior quality 0 and clean, for use by the builders,-all in one continuous and economical operation.

Further, the invention has for an object the provision of a combined aggregate washing, crushing and loading plant composed of several portable units adapted jointly to form apparatus for the purpose stated wherein, when so required, each separate unit of the plant can be conveniently and economically loaded into trucks and transferred and 7 quickly re-assembled and economically used at a new place where the material is excavated; such apparatus having provisions for effectively washing the aggregate, crushing the over-sized pieces and classifying all and delivering the classifiedmatter into separate tank cars or wagon loading bins.

Further, it is an object to provide means whereby lumps of silt and clay will be quickly broken and diflused into liquid form the sand and gravel and oversized rock will be thoroughly scrubbed and washed continuously with clean water and spirally shoveled upwardly in opposition to the downward spray' and downward flow of water and at the same time graded and then discharged at the highest end of the drum, the muddy water flowing by gravity, downwardly to the lower end of the drum and being there discharged and conveyed to a place remote from that where the washed commercial sand and revel and grushed rock is collected in classi ed loading Further, it is an object to provide a separator and washer unit with water spray nozzles adjustably arranged inside of the separating and classifying drum in such manner and by such means that clean water is constantly sprayed directly onto the sand, gravel and rock or otheraggregates as they are, by

means of a system of spirally arranged shovels, conveyed, classified and discharged at the upper end of the classifying drum at the same time that the mud mixed with water flows down and is discharged at the lowest end of the drum assisted by gravity; the muddy water passes from the machine into a settling sump if it should be required that the settled and cleaned water be used over again, the

m sump being located at a place more or less remote fromwhere the clean commercial materials are discharged, thereby insuring (through my efficient system and method of washing, crushing and classifying) maximum cleanliness of aggregates in minimum time and with minimum cost of operation.

Further, it is an object to provide a separating and washing plant which is composed of several units of such sizes sothat each unit may be portable and may be mounted to run in tandem arrangement along a trackway or on a barge approximately parallel to the V, path of travel of the excavator so as to be movable with the excavator from place to place as excavation progresses; the units all being of such convenient size that each unit can be quickly uncoupled and loaded into large trucks and quickly and economically transported and re-assembled and used to an ',economically serve in providing clean classified aggregates at another pit or pits handy to new job.

Further, it is an object to provide a rock crusher in association with the washer and 3 separator units to crush the large over-sized rock particles and reduce them to a commercial size as they are delivered directly into the crusher from the washer and separator unit in passing to the elevators which take the separated materials and separately deposit them in wagon or .truck loading bincars.

Further, it is an object to provide a most simple, yet most ample and most economical {washing and separating means of an improved construction which will be of relatively low manufacturing and maintenance cost and one which will be eificientin opera- (tion, of long life and in which worn parts may be replaced with minimum loss of time and with minimum expense. I

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid obje c ts and ends", my invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings:

Figure 1 constitutes a plan iew, largely diagrammatic, of my complete apparatus, showing arrangement of units in operation. Figures 2 and 2 constitute a side elevation thereof. 1

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the separator and washer unit.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a developed view of the inner face of the outer shell showing the spirally arranged deflector shovels.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective View of a portion of the deflector and agitator strips.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion 3'5 of the washer duct and its adjustable spray nozzles.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic elevation showing a means to limit the inclination of the grid.

In the drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, it will be seen that my complete apparatus embodies a suitable long-arnrfull-circle hoist excavating machinel by means of 85 which the material is gathered through a Wide and deep radius and deposited onto a primary separating grid 6 of a receiving hopper 5. The apparatus also embodies a track 2 for the separating mechanism and receiving bin-cars to travel on, together with the power plant 3, in the form of a train.

When desired a sump 4 for wash water to settle in may be provided by the use of the excavator so that some of the same Water 95 may be used over and over again. This is desirable when a stream of running water or some other ample source of continuous water supplyis not near. The wash water may be conveyed from the washer unit to the sump in any desired way as, for example, through a duct 19% (see Figures 1 and 2).

The receiving hopper 5 is mounted on a suitable truck 24 and the thereon provided primary separating grid 6, with its integral extension discharge bars (see Figures 1 and 2) is pivoted so that it may be used for the purpose of throwing off stumps or boulders and other similar oversized detritus that cannot be successfully passed through the wash- 110 er and separator and crusher units; the rear end of the grid 6 opposite to its pivot is'provided with a check or limiting chain 6a: or rod may be adjusted for the purpose of serving to prevent the grid in its discharge posi 115 tion from tipping more than about 45 degrees. A crank shaft and cable 6 1 (see Figure 2) may be used to tilt the grid 6. It will be understood that by providing the holding grid and its extension and the limiting check, the waste spoil may be discharged away from the side of the said bin-car so that it may be removed by means of the excavator bucket.

A series of bin-cars 8, 9 and 10 are pro vided, one for each classified material. The design and construction of these cars may be such as will be found most desirable for the purpose for which the cars are used.

11 designates the ample capacity jaw rock crusher which is coupled between the truck 130 of the power plant 3 and the truck of the washer and separator unit, while the primary delivers directly over the center of the first bin-car 8 while the elevators 12 and 13 deliver onto delivery belt conveyers 15' and 16 which have boots 17 and 18 respectively at their delivery ends to chute the material into the bincars9 and 10 respectively at a properly elevated point over the centers of the bins.

The power plant 3 includes a pump 20 which, if required, may be connected witha source of water supply (the sump 4 when such is used, for example) by a duct 19 and which is connected to the water main 22 of the washer by a duct 21. The wash water supply can be provided in and be piped by gravity from elevated surface reservoirs or tanks. located on the elevation of the aggregate bank or otherwise.

The washer unit comprises a wheeled truck 25 on which is mounted a frame 26 supporting flanged rollers 27 on which the rotating. barrel of the washer and separator unit is mounted. This rotating barrel comprises an outer drum or shell 28, on the outside of which are two annular tracks 29 to run on the flanged rollers 27. The drum -may be turned directly by electric or other motors or driven from the power plant either by shaft and belt connections or by shaft and gear connections, or worm drive, the belt connections being indicated in the drawings. The axis of the drum 28 is preferably slightly upwardly inclined from the receiving end toward the exit end, and at the exit end of the outer drum Where the sand or fine material is delivered, such drum is provided with an internal angle iron 30 constituting a water hold-back ring, the height of which ring is such asto prevent the water flowing out of the upper end of the drum but not such as to prevent the washed and separated fine material from passing out at that place.

Within the drum 28 is a set of spirally mounted agitating and deflecting shovel strips 31, there being preferably about nine, strips, equally spaced about eight inches apart, to a six foot diameter drum, though, of course, this number may be varied in practice if found desirable. Each strip 31 is preferably made as an integral unit out of proper sized bars of angle steel and is riveted or otherwise substantially fixedly secured at 25 by its flange part to the inside of the drum 28- and has its overlapping shovel blades 32 spaced apart as at 33 as shown in Figures 5 and 6 in such manner as to retain sand, gravel and stone but permitwash water together with silt, clay and dirt to pass down and out at the same time the washed aggregates are conveyed by the spiral shovels against the flow of water. These blades also, at the water outlet ends nearest the axis of the drum, are lapped as indicated in Figure 6 so as to prevent the sand and gravel from working back with the water between the blades.

One or more intermediate perforated drums 36, 37 are provided within the outer dru-In 28. Between the drums and substantially attached thereto are properly spaced spiral vanes 3150, the walls of which extend from drum to drum and form supports between the drums. They serve to agitate and convey the washed material in its passage from the lower or entrant ends of the drums toward the outer, upper or exit ends thereof. It should, of course, be understood that the innermost drum 37 has the larger perfora tions and the intermediate drum 36 the smaller perforations so that the finer solids will be collected by the outer drum 28 and be discharged by the spiral shovel means provided in and attached to the outer drum; the inf termediate material will be collected between.

the inner and intermediate drums and discharged by means of the spiral partitions, while the coarser materials will pass along the inner drum and be discharged from the outer end of the same. The inner drum is also preferably provided'with spiral deflecting shovel vanes 31 to assist in effectively breaking lumps of silt or-clay and in moving the washed oversized materials toward the upper or exit end of the drum. The several drums 28,- 36 and 37 are connected to turn in unison on their longitudinal axes by spokes 39 placed at suitable intervals. The drums 37 and 38 project stepwise beyond one another and beyond the outer drum as at 40 and 41, the purpose of which will presently appe r. Each drum is also provided with a sho i'el ring 31 at its entrant end as shown.

42 is a boot with chute for taking the oversize material discharged from the projecting end 41 to the crusher 11, while 43 .is a similar boot with chute for taking the washed intermediate classified material discharged from the projecting end 40 of the drum 36 to the bucket conveyer 13, while a third boot 44 with chute conveys the washed fine classified material from the outer drum 28 to the bucke elevator, 12. y

45 designates sprayer supports which have set screws 46 or other suitable clamping means to hold the water main 22 of the washer in place in such a manner that it may be turned on its axis for adjusting purposes in at each end. I want it understood that such order to attain the most efiective washing service with high or low pressure. 47 is the inner water pipe which is integrally connected to the main 22 by upright water pipes 48 justed in most effective service position and be held fixedly in position by set screws 46, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4.

From that side of the inner water pipe 47 which is adjacent the high side of the drum,

i. e., the side up which the material, when spirally progressed, tends to be carried, 62(- tend a plurality of properlv spaced nozzle pipes 49, on the ends of which a plurality of suitably spaced spraying nozzles 50 are carried, there being valves 51 in each of the pipes 49 as a means for attaining themost efiective service spray control. within the drum 37 are connected together by a connecting bar 52 which extends to the outside of the drums and may be manipulated by the attendant to open or close the said valves. This provides a means by which a greater quantity of water can be instantly applied to most thoroughly diffuse and wash and remove great quantities of silt and clay in liquid form, or if the aggregates passing through the washer have only small amounts of silt and clay mixed therein, then less water may be used, or when the excavator fails to deliver a constant supply of aggregates then the water can be instantly shut off and waste of water prevented.

The pipe 47 is connected tothe upright pipes 48 by suitable elbows 53- in which the pipe 47 may adjustably swivel, set screws 54 being provided to hold the pipe 47 in its adjusted and most effective service spraying positions.

The pipe 47 extends above the chute 7 from the receiving hopper 5 to the washer and separator unit, and the nozzle pipes 23 which extend over the chute 7 have their valves 51w independently adjustable so that the water may be most effectively sprayed onto the aggregate as it in an orderly manner passes in spread out form over the chute 7, and said spray may be controlled and regulated independently of the spraying nozzles. within the inner drum or shell 37.

I want it understood that by such effective and novel means and method of spray control all the material is thoroughly lubricated and all the fine loose silt and clay is there completely diffused into liquid form and flows quickly with the wash water in comingled state through the two perforated inner shells and to the bottom of the outer imperforated drum and thence all silt, clay and dirt is permanently eliminated out through the shovel ring openings at low entrant end.

All of the valves 51.

aeeaoee In addition to the pump 20 the power plant includes an engine 55, electric or steam power may be used but preferably an internal combustion engine is employed. The engine 55 has suitable clutch drive pulleys 56, one of which is connected to a suitable power transmission mechanism 57 that turns the drum 28. Another of the clutch pulleys 56 of the engine is utilized to drive the crusher 11 via the belt connection 58. Power is also taken from the engine 55 via belt 59 to drive'the shaft 60 which is gear connected at 61 to the driving gears 62 and 63 of the elevator and delivery belt shafts 64 and 65. It should be understood that in the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2-2, I have merely illustrated my apparatus diagrammatically. The particular power plant, the particular construction of bucket elevators, and the particular construction of and arrangement of delivery belts and power pulleys may be varied to suit the desires of the manufacturer or user, and as the construction of these power transmission elements per se is not an essential factor in my present invention, further detailed disclosure of the construction thereof is thought to be unnecessary.

In using my inventionthe excavating machine is operated in the usual manner (this machine is preferably of the long arm caterpillar or portable excavator type employing orange peel or clam shell grapples). The excavated material is deposited on the primary separating grid 6 which, as before stated, is tiltably mounted over the receiving hopper 5 that is located on the wheeled truck 24 so that only materials will pass into that hopper which can go through the wide mesh of the grid. The grid can be hingedly. arranged and adapted to discharge on either side of the hopper. Stumps and materials that will not go throughfthe wide mesh of the grid are thrown off by turning the grid through the medium of a cranlr66 or.by means of other suitable apparatus which will tilt the grid to the proper discharge angle when desired. The aggregate which is deposited into the receiving'hopper 5 passes via the chute 7 to the combined washer and separator unit where it is deposited into the innermost drum or shell 37. In transit from the hopper 5 to the shell 37 the material comes under the effective influence of sprayer nozzles 23 that are located 1 above the chute 7 so that the material is there thoroughly wetted and given a preliminary washing to the extent that all loose silt and day is there diffused into liquid form and flows out in comingled state with the water. On passinginto the inner drum 37 the classified sized material, which can do so, passes through the meshes of that drum into the intermediate drum 36, and such class of the material that can pass through the meshes of that drum pass into the outer drum 28, thus the solids are quickly separated and progressed'into three class groups, the coarser over-sized material (rock) "remaining in drum 37 and is discharged directly into the crusher from the inner drum, while the finer material (sand) passes to the outer drum and is discharged directly onto a bucket conveyer, while'the intermediate material or gravel is retained in the intermediate drum and'discharged directly into its class bucket conveyer. y

By virtue of the spiral shovel vanes within the drums, as those drums rotate, the

. solids will be thereby impellingly agitated into the crusher 11 and is there reduced to.

and constantly advanced from the entrant end of each of the drum units to the exit end thereof. It will, of course, be understood that as the drums rotate the material will'be carried up on the high side of the drum until the critical angle is reached when the material will begin to roll. 1 Experience has shown that the material-will be carried up to a point approximately fortyefive degrees from the bottom before itwill begin to roll and intermittently drop with great impact from shovel to shovel. By such means lumps of silt and clay will be thoroughly and quickly broken and will be diifused by the spray of water into liquid form and thus be commingled with, and be permanently eliminated and discharged with, the water. In order, therefore to wash the material thoroughly and economically the washing fluid must be sprayed upon the material at the high point and the accruing muddy water automatically taken away at the lowest oint. This I most efiectivel accomplish y the provision of the pecu iar spraying pipe arrangement hereinbefore described.

By reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that by reason of the several adjustments hereinbefore described the supply pipe and the nozzles may be positioned to dlrect the spray water atexactly After the material has been thoroughly agitated, scoured, Washed, rinsed and re-rinsed and separated it is passed out of the drums. The heaviest material (rocks) passes directly workable size and delivered to the elevator 14 which carries it up and deposits the same centrally in the first of the bin-cars (8) The intermediate grade material (gravel) is discharged into the elevator 13 and taken up and delivered onto the delivery belt 16 which conveys it to and at proper elevation delivers it over the center and into the second bin-car 9 of the train. The finer material (sand) is delivered into the buckets of theelevator 12 and by it deposited onto the delivery belt 15 which carries the material and deposits it from proper "elevation over the center into the third or most remote of the bin-cars (10). It should be noted that the delivery of the material into the bin-cars is over their geometric centers so that the the desired place.

convenient stock piles as may be most de-- sired so that the process of gathering, washing and separating and delivering the mate rials ready for use may be carried on in mass production and in a continuous and most direct and economical manner.

From the foregoing it should be understood that the aggregates that are desired to be washed, crushedand classified can be delivered into the feed hopper of the apparatus in any convenient way, preferably by means of a caterpillar hoist that is provided with a long arm boom and sa'ya two-yard orange, peel or clam shell bucket; such size bucket will be required to be kept continuously busy for supprying the said hopper with aggregates as ast as the illustrated revolving six foot diameter outer drum and five foot intermediate drum and four foot inner drum with'their therein provided sys tem of spirally arranged deflecting shovels.

The drums -,with the shoirels are designed,

shovels in each drum move the load (sayone cubic foot per spiral) about six feet toward delivery or discharge end of the drum per each revolution. For'example 9 spirals would move 9 cubic feet a distance of 6 feet toward discharge end of the drum per revolution; at 20 revolutions per minute, 20 times 9 cubic feet, or 180 cubic feet or 6 and yards of superior washed and classified commercial aggregates per minute are produced or a possible maximum of etOQ cubic yards per hour. Smaller power-unit washer means or even small hand operating drum washer means may be constructed; and economically operated to serve less capacity requirements. It will be further understood that a 45 foot long boom full circle type of excavator can readily excavate an 80 foot wide strip of aggregate deposit and deliver The long arm same into the feed hopper. hoist can also conveniently serve in grading bed for railway track extension-and can pic up ties and rails from the rear of the train and place said ties and rails in front of the 7 train to serve in progressing the train thereon as may be required, also the power plant of the excavator can be used to serve in quickly moving. the entire plant forward on its railway track in order to serve in washing and classifying aggregates conveniently close to the, remaining aggregate deposit and it will be further understood that the clam of hoist power be pushed or pulled up the inclined track to the upper end thereof and from thence be run into a truck that has its open end of bottom of gravel body backed up to receive the unit directly and level with the end of the inclined loading rail terminal in such manner and by such means that each of the plant units may thus be quickly loaded onto the fleet of service trucks on the job and may be quickly transported and re-assembled in order to serve again and again at new aggregate deposits most convenient to new construction works as may be required. And be it further understood that the required water supply may be pumped from some lake, pond, creek, spring or well or wells and piped from quite remote places and into excavated economical earth reservoirs located on some convenient elevation above the proposed aggregate Washing and classifying job. It will be understood that the washing plant will be preferably operated on the floor or near the bottom of aggregate deposit hence water supply can be piped by gravity from an earth reservoir or tank located on top of the aggregate deposit or on some nearby natural and proper elevation, hence no water tower would be required and a comparatively small pipe in connection with ample power force pump that could if required, be constantly operating night and day and if so operated, the pump would discharge an ample water supply into the reservoir to serve the washing plant in operating during ten hour day work period and if eventually available water supply is scant then can the-mud-mixed wash water be discharged into a settling sump or sumps and when settled said water can be pumped into said upper reservoir and be used again and again.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the construction, opera tion and advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art to which this washing, classifying and loading means relates.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a train of portable units comprising a receivmg primary separator-bin unit, a combined aeeaoea washer and separator unit, a rock crusher unit, a power plant unit, and a series of bincars, one for each of the materials separated by the combined washer and separator unit, means delivering the aggregate to the receiving separator-bin, means delivering the ma terial from said receiving separator-bin unit to said washer and separator unit, means to give the material a preliminary washing in passing from said receiving separator-bin unit to said combined washer and separator unit, said washer and separator unit having provisions for washing and separating the sand and gravel, and means delivering the sand and smaller gravel separately to said bin-cars, means delivering the larger particles to said crusher unit, means delivering crushed material to another of said bin-cars, said combined washer and separator unit having provisions for discharging the wash water at a place remote from the place where the sand and gravel, etc. are discharged therefrom.

2. A combined separator and washer unit comprising a support, a rotatable body mounted to turn in said support on an upwardly inclined longitudinal axis, said body comprising an outer cylindrical shell and a set of inner cylindrical shells concentrically arranged with respect to said outer shell, said set of inner shells being perforated to separate the materials into successive sizes, means separately to discharge the solids at the higher end of the rotatable body, means between said shells adapted to agitate and advance the washed and classified solids toward the said higher 'end, the advancing means between the outer shell and the next adjacent one having provisions to permit the washings to pass out through the low-er end of the shell, means to turn said shells and means to spray water toward the wall of said inner shell and directly onto the upwardly progressed aggregates said advancing means including shovel rings at the lower ends of the shells, said rings having spaced blades leaving openings therebetween.

3. A combined separator and washer unit comprising a support, a rotatable body mounted to turn in said support on an upwardly inclined longitudinal axis, said body comprising an outer cylindrical shell and a set of inner cylindrical shells concentrically arranged with respect to said outer shell, said set of inner shells being perforated to separate the materials into successive sizes, means separately to discharge the solids at the higher end of the rotatable body, means between said shells to advance the solids toward the said higher end, the advancing means between the outer shell and the next adjacent one having provisions to permit the washings to pass out through the lower end of the shell, means to turn said shells and means to spray water toward the wall of said inner shell throughout substantially its full length and directly onto the upwardly progressed aggregates, and a chute by which the aggregate is delivered into the inner shell, and means to spray water on theaggrcgate While it is passing over said chute, thereby giving a preliminary washing to the aggregate substantially as specified, said advancing means including shovel rings at the lower ends of the shells, said rings having spaced blades leaving openings therebetween.

' 4. A combined Washer and separator unit comprising a set of concentric drums, a support in which said drums are mounted to rotate in unison about'their longitudinal axes, the inner ones of said drums being provided with graduated perforations, means to pass the aggregate into the innermost drum, means projecting into said inner drum from end to end to spray water onto the high side of the materials in said drum, means to adjust the position of said spraying means, said spraying means comprising an inner water pipe extending through the inner drum, means supporting said pipe for adjustment bodily laterally within the inner drum parallel to the axis thereof and means by which said water pipe may be adjusted independently around its own axis, and spray .nozzle pipes projecting laterally from said inner Water pipe, and nozzles on said nozzle pipes.

5. A combined washer and separator unit comprising a set of concentric drums, a support in which. said drums are mounted to rotate in unison about their longitudinal axes, the inner ones of said drums being provided with graduated perforations, meanslto pass the aggregate into the innermost drum, means projectinginto said inner drum from end to end to spray water onto the high side of the materials in said'drum, means to adjust the position of said spraying means, said spraying means comprising an inner water pipe extending through the inner drum, means supporting said pipe for adjustment bodily laterally within the inner drum parallel to the axis thereof and means by which said water ;pipe may be adjusted independently around its own axis, and spray nozzle pipes projecting laterally from said inner water pipe, nozzles on said nozzle pipes, and control valves in said nozzle pipes.

6. A combined washer and separator unit comprising a set of concentric drums, a support in which said drums are mounted to rotate in unison about their longitudinal axes, the inner ones of said drums being provided with graduated perforations, means to pass the aggregate into the innermost drum,

means projecting into said inner drum from end to end to spray water onto the high side of the materials in said drum, means to adjust the position ofsaid spraying means, said spraying means comprising an inner water p1pe extending through the inner drum,

means supporting said pipe for adjustment bodily laterally within the inner drum parallel to the axis thereof and means by which said water pipe may be adjusted independ ently around its own axis, spray nozzle pipes projecting laterally from said inner water pipe, nozzles on said nozzle pipes, control valves in said nozzle pipes, and means simultaneously to adjust said valves from a place outside of said drums. K

7. In apparatus of the class described, a cylindrical drum mounted to rotate around its longitudinal axis, a cylindrical shovel ring at the entrant end of said drum whose. axis is coincident with that of the drum, and a series of spirally arranged shovel strips secured. within said drum and extending from said shovel ring to the opposite end of said drum, means to introduce material to be Washed into said drum, and means to wash the material as it travels through said drum and means to give the material a preliminary washing as it is introduced into the drum, said shovel ring having spaced blades leaving openings therebetween.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a cylindrical drum mounted to rotate around its longitudinal axis, a cylindrical shovel ring at the entrant end of said drum whose axis is coincident with that of the drum, and a series of spirally arranged shovel strips secured within said drum and extending from said shovel ring to the opposite end of said drum, a screening shell within said drum arranged concentrically therewith and rotatable with said drum, means to deliver material into said screening shell, means to 9. In apparatus of the class described, a

cylindrical drum mounted to rotatearound its longitudinal axis, a cylindrical shovel ring at the entrant end of said drum whose axis is coincident with that of the drum, and a series of spirally arranged shovel strips secured within said drum and extending from said shovel ring to the opposite end of said drum, a screening shell within said drum arranged concentrically therewith and rotatable with said drum, means to deliver material into said screening shell, means to cause material to travel along said screening shell from one end to the other and there be discharged, a sprayer device arranged in said screening shell to wash the material, and a water hold-back ring in said drum at its discharge end. said shovel ring having spaced blades leaving openings therebetween.

10.- In apparatus of the class described, a drum mounted to rotate around its longitudinal axis, a shovel ring at the entrant end of till said drum, and a series of spirally arranged shovel strips secured within said drum and extending from said shovel ring to the opposite end of said drum, a screening shell within said drum into which shell the aggregate is deposited and by which it is separated, the finer material passing through into said drum, means within said screening shell for advancing the material along the shell as the shell rotates with the drum, and means to spray water on the high side of the material in said shell and drum comprising a water main mounted to turn around its axis, an inner water pipe, vertical end pipes connecting said water pipe to said main, said water pipe being adjustable around its axis, nozzle pipes projecting from a side of said water pipe, valves in said nozzle pipes and nozzles carried by said nozzle pipes to spray water on the high side of the shell, and means operable from outside of the shell to control all the nozzle pipe valves within the shell.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a drum mounted to rotate around its longitudinal axis, a shovel ring at the entrant end of said drum and a series of spirally arranged shovel strips secured within said drum and extending from said shovel ring to the opposite end of said drum; a screening shell within said drum into which shell the aggregate is deposited and by which it is separated, the finer material passing through into said drum, means within said screening shell for advancing the material along the hecaoea agitating spiral shovel-elements interposed between said shells, means to spray clean water over the contents of said inner shell on the high side thereof in order to diifuse the silt and clay into liquid form and cause it to flow with the gravitating water in co-mingled state along the bottom of the outer shell and through the spaces between the shovel elements, means to deliver the solids to be treated into the lower end of the inner shell, and means for separately delivering the treated solids from the higher ends of said shells.

FRANK FREDEEN.

shell as the shell rotates with the drum;

means to spray water on the high side of the material in said shell and drum comprising 1 a water main mounted to turn around its axis, an inner water pipe, vertical end pipes connecting said water pipe to said main, said Water pipe being adjustable around its axis, nozzle pipes projecting from a side of said water pipe, valves in said nozzle pipes and nozzles carried by said nozzle pipes to spray water on the high side of the shell, and

means operable from outside of the shell to control all the nozzle pipe valves within the shell; a chute to deliver the aggregate to the inner shell, said water pipe extending over said chute, and nozzle with independently adjustable valve carried by said water pipe I to spray water on the aggregate in said chute.

12. lhcombined separator and washer unit comprising" a support, a rotatablebody mounted to turn in said support on an up- Wardly inclined longitudinal axis, said rotatable body comprising an outer cylindrical shell and a set of inner cylindrical shells consecutively arranged with respect to said outer shells, said inner shells being perforated with graduated perforations, said shells being adapted to separate the solids into successive classified sizes, sets of spaced apart ill 

